Sorry it has taken me so long to post the final part to this blog series. Life just gets in the way sometimes. However, here it is and I hope you enjoy it. In this episode I wanted to look at using a hand brace and explore some of the so called hints and tips out there to see if they really are useful. I’ll also show you how to get in touch with your inner level.
I’m assuming you’ve sharpened your auger bits like I showed you in the last episode. A sharp auger bit is paramount for drilling...

When I did my research, I found a number of good saw vise designs on the web. Some were simple, whilst others were more complex. The fundamental requirement of a saw vise is that it clamps a saw securely while you sharpen it, everything else is just icing. So it can be as simple as sandwiching the saw plate between two pieces of wood in a vise on your bench. Last December, I had the privilege of attending a saw sharpening class with Paul Sellers at Penrhyn Castle in North Wales. At the beginn...

You know I said at the end of my last post that I’d post a picture of each saw and tell you how I was going to sharpen them and why? Well I lied. :-) The temptation of my restored backsaws, a saw vise and a bundle of saw files was just too much. I had to sharpen a saw, but which one? I thought about it for a while and settled on the little Spear & Jackson 8” Dovetail saw. Remember this one?
I chose it for two reasons:
For a dovetail saw, the depth of cut is quite big at 50mm. ...

Before I can chronicle more of Moby Plank, which I’m itching to do, I need to get the mesquite legs and stretchers made. In order for me to complete the legs, which will be carved out of 5×5x 36 blocks of mesquite, I need a band saw much bigger than the little hobbiest one I have. I can’t afford a band saw until the project is completed, and I get paid. Hence a conundrum. After pondering possible possible solutions, and my wife objecting to me selling the kids, I struck u...

I thought I’d mix it up a bit in this part of the blog and record a video where I:
Discuss what to look for when you pick up a secondhand brace and consider buying it.
Mention variations in design and size and why you would use one size over another.
Address Racerglen’s question on restoring plated braces.
Answer lysdexic’s question as to why the Yankee 2100 represents the pinnacle of brace development.
YouTube only allows uploads up to 15 minutes in length (...

I don’t mind admitting that sash saws confuse me. I’m not talking about the word ‘sash’. Obviously in days gone by, this type/size of backsaw was used to make sash windows and the name stuck. What confuses me is whether it is the length of the saw that defines it as a sash saw or the way it is filed.
When I’m confused about hand tools, I turn to the people I respect in the hand tool world and when it comes to saws those people are Joel Moskowitz, Matt Cianci, and Mark Harrell. The excerpt...

Aimed at those new to saw sharpening, this instructional video is 2 1/4 hours long and covers the theory, the tools and the practice of sharpening western saws. You get to look over my shoulder as I sharpen four saws – two backsaws and two hand saws. I’ll explain the saw sharpening process and how you apply it to different scenarios.
I really hope you find it useful. As to the production quality, I’ve done the best I could. I had to record it outside, so there is a bi...

Friday March 11th 1864 was a day much like any other day for Thomas Wilkinson. He and his partner Robert Howden had been working hard at the Ebenezer Steel Works in Sheffield, where they traded under the name of Drabble and Sanderson.
They’d built up quite a reputation for their files and edge tools and in particular their saws, such as this 14” 12TPI backsaw, filed rip.
Thomas locked up for the night and prepared himself for the short walk to his lodgings at a hou...

about a year ago, i moved into a dorm room sized studio. i immediately began conjuring up thoughts of a loft bed to give me more space to set up a small computer building area. i haven’t tried a wood project since middle school (i’m a world saver, not a carpenter), but having someone else do it is not in the budget, plus it could end up poorly done. the only thing worse than buying/making a cheap piece of junk is buying/making an expensive piece of junk. after searching for i...

This was the first saw I bought off ebay. I can’t remember how much I paid, but it wasn’t much. The seller only posted one dark grainy photo, so I didn’t really know what I was getting and at that time I didn’t know what to look for anyway. When it arrived and I removed the wrapping, I literally had goosebumps. I couldn’t get over how beautiful the hand-made tote was. More than once I’ve drifted off into dreamland imagining the work this saw has performed d...